Cuyahoga County: Consulting company owner charged with bribery of officials

Anthony Ma, 75, of Moreland Hills, is the owner of Broma Information Technology.

Ma is accused of paying bribes of $184,000 to Cuyahoga County officials to secure various county contracts, according to court records filed with the U.S. District Court in Cleveland.

Broma was directly awarded a $100,000 contract, while it was named as the small business subcontractor on two other contracts worth nearly $4 million, according to the charges.

Small businesses typically get about 35 percent of the overall contract.

Ma is charged with two counts of conspiracy.

Among those alleged to have received bribes were Public Official 2, who is widely reported to be Auditor Frank Russo, the records show.

Russo has not be charged with any crime and has maintained his innocence.

Others who allegedly received money from Broma were former Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office Chief of Staff Kevin Payne, former county employee Daniel Gallagher, who ran a consulting firm, and a third unidentified official who worked at the Auditor's Office, prosecutors said.

Payne and Gallagher have already pleaded guilty in connection with the probe. The charges came by way of an information, which generally indicates the person being charged is working with authorities.